February- Show a cooperative spirit. *Activity: Animals cooperating video Cooperation: All Star Teams - April 5th Suggestions for team activities: > Begin by showing the read aloud of Swimmy by Leo Lionni. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-juqmKIJqk > Discussion questions to follow- 1. What do you think cooperation means? * act of working or acting together for a common purpose or benefit; joint action. 2. Why is cooperation important? 3. How did Swimmy and his friends use cooperation? 4. How can we use cooperation at school? At home? > Introduce Balloon Bop Activity. Discuss how students can use cooperation- either before you do the activity or reflect about it afterward. > Balloon Bop: http://www.responsiveclassroom.org/blog/cooperative-games-younger-students This is such a fun game for all students! Great for the younger students to begin learning cooperation, but also great for the older students as they begin to master skills! You can play this as a whole class or in groups (your choice in number of students, size of group). Materials: Balloon(s) (Balloons will be available in the office on top of the filing cabinets by Tue. You can take 3 for your group. You can split the group into small groups at first if you want and then try it as a large group.) Students begin by standing in a circle, holding hands. The teacher drops one balloon into the circle. The goal is for students to see how many times they can tap the balloon into the air (students may tap the balloon with hands, arms, heads, shoulders, chests, or knees—but NO feet), keeping it up in the air, without losing connection (all students must continue holding hands). In order for this to work effectively, students have to work cooperatively, each of them making sure they are not letting go of their neighbor’s hands. They will soon figure out that they must all move together, as a circle, so to make sure they do not lose connection. If the balloon falls to the ground or a student taps the balloon with their feet, the count begins again. Depending on grade level, you can add more balloons to make it more challenging! Before playing: Teacher can model how to tap the balloon lightly in order to keep the balloon up in the air. Try this with the students individually and then in partners. Once they are successful at keeping their balloon in the air without dropping their partner’s hands, add more students to the group until they form one whole circle. Let the game begin!
March- Character *Activity: Kid President- How to Change the World Read- The Giving Tree All-Star Groups Agenda - February 8, 2017 Topic: Empathy Project:Making Valentine Cards/Letters for residents of Hawkeye Care Center, Bethany Home, and Stone Hill Card Supplies: One team leader from each group, please pick-up a zip lock bag with some extra embellishments for the cards. These will be in a marked box in the office area. Figuring that most groups have paper and other supplies such as crayons, scissors and glue on hand, these will not be generally provided. If any group does want supplies, please let me know what you need by Monday. Students can work in pairs or individually and should sign only their first names on the cards. When the cards are finished and dry, please place them in the zip lock bag that the embellishments came in and return cards to Terry Spyrison’s room or office mail box. Thank you! The warm greetings will brighten this Valentine’s Day for many people.
For discussion ideas on Empathy, below is an excerpt from:http://preventingbullying.promoteprevent.org/8-empathy-activities
8. Empathy Activities | preventingbullying.promoteprevent.orgpreventingbullying.promoteprevent.orgOne of the most important social skills involved in bullying prevention is empathy––understanding and responding with caring to what others think and feel.
One of the most important social skills involved in bullying prevention is empathy––understanding and responding with caring to what others think and feel. Children are less likely to hurt and more likely to help someone if they can imagine themselves in that person’s place and can share that person’s thoughts and feelings. Early childhood educators can teach young children to refrain from bullying by helping them learn and practice empathy in direct connection with bullying situations. They can help young children understand how children who are bullied might feel and how they themselves would feel if they were bullied. They can prepare children to become helpful bystanders by helping them recognize when a child who is bullied is feeling hurt and how they might help that child feel better. Activities for Teaching Empathy Skills: Different and Similar Discuss the main ways that children are different from one another. Prompt them with examples, if needed.
Some children are big, and others are small.
Some children run fast, and others run slowly.
Some children like to play with blocks, and others like to draw pictures.
Ask, “What would our group be like if we were all the same?”
Elicit that while at first it might be fun, since we’d all agree on everything, eventually it would get boring, since we would never try anything new, every race would end in a tie, etc. Explain how the differences among us make our group stronger, more interesting, and better able to do different things. Discuss the fact that bullies may bully other children simply because they are different—they try to make differences seem like bad things or weaknesses, rather than the strengths they are.
Summarize by explaining that we should all agree to appreciate our differences, recognize that no one likes to be bullied, and never bully someone simply because he or she is different. (Consider the Golden Rule: “Do to others as you would want them to do to you.” Acts of Kindness are the opposite of bullying because it helps another person feel good instead of bad––it gives a person a good feeling rather than takes away a good feeling) April-Conflict Resolution *Activity: Kid President- How to Disagree Animals crossing bridge video Building plan- conflict
September- Getting to know you
*Activity: Brainstorm team name, School Assembly
October- Doing my best!
*Activity: Team name
Kid President- Pep Talk for Students and Teachers
Everything is Awesome video
November- Treat people and property with respect.
*Activity: Ways to show respect.
Respecting others- birds/ crabs
December- Act in a trustworthy and responsible manner.
Empathy
Berenstein Bears- Empathy
RAK
SS- Empathy
*Activity:
Teddy the Trustworthy Kid
Pillar of Character- Trustworthy
January- Reflect on your actions.
*Activity:
Kid President - 20 Things we need to say more
Hot Seat of Responsibility
February- Show a cooperative spirit.
*Activity:
Animals cooperating video
Cooperation: All Star Teams - April 5th
Suggestions for team activities:
> Begin by showing the read aloud of Swimmy by Leo Lionni. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-juqmKIJqk
> Discussion questions to follow-
1. What do you think cooperation means?
* act of working or acting together for a common purpose or benefit; joint action.
2. Why is cooperation important?
3. How did Swimmy and his friends use cooperation?
4. How can we use cooperation at school? At home?
> Introduce Balloon Bop Activity. Discuss how students can use cooperation- either before you do the activity or reflect about it afterward.
> Balloon Bop: http://www.responsiveclassroom.org/blog/cooperative-games-younger-students
This is such a fun game for all students! Great for the younger students to begin learning cooperation, but also great for the older students as they begin to master skills! You can play this as a whole class or in groups (your choice in number of students, size of group).
Materials: Balloon(s) (Balloons will be available in the office on top of the filing cabinets by Tue. You can take 3 for your group. You can split the group into small groups at first if you want and then try it as a large group.)
Students begin by standing in a circle, holding hands. The teacher drops one balloon into the circle. The goal is for students to see how many times they can tap the balloon into the air (students may tap the balloon with hands, arms, heads, shoulders, chests, or knees—but NO feet), keeping it up in the air, without losing connection (all students must continue holding hands). In order for this to work effectively, students have to work cooperatively, each of them making sure they are not letting go of their neighbor’s hands. They will soon figure out that they must all move together, as a circle, so to make sure they do not lose connection. If the balloon falls to the ground or a student taps the balloon with their feet, the count begins again. Depending on grade level, you can add more balloons to make it more challenging!
Before playing: Teacher can model how to tap the balloon lightly in order to keep the balloon up in the air. Try this with the students individually and then in partners. Once they are successful at keeping their balloon in the air without dropping their partner’s hands, add more students to the group until they form one whole circle. Let the game begin!
March- Character
*Activity:
Kid President- How to Change the World
Read- The Giving Tree
All-Star Groups Agenda - February 8, 2017
Topic: Empathy
Project: Making Valentine Cards/Letters for residents of Hawkeye Care Center, Bethany Home, and Stone Hill
Card Supplies: One team leader from each group, please pick-up a zip lock bag with some extra embellishments for the cards. These will be in a marked box in the office area. Figuring that most groups have paper and other supplies such as crayons, scissors and glue on hand, these will not be generally provided. If any group does want supplies, please let me know what you need by Monday.
Students can work in pairs or individually and should sign only their first names on the cards.
When the cards are finished and dry, please place them in the zip lock bag that the embellishments came in and return cards to Terry Spyrison’s room or office mail box.
Thank you! The warm greetings will brighten this Valentine’s Day for many people.
For discussion ideas on Empathy, below is an excerpt from:http://preventingbullying.promoteprevent.org/8-empathy-activities
One of the most important social skills involved in bullying prevention is empathy––understanding and responding with caring to what others think and feel. Children are less likely to hurt and more likely to help someone if they can imagine themselves in that person’s place and can share that person’s thoughts and feelings.
Early childhood educators can teach young children to refrain from bullying by helping them learn and practice empathy in direct connection with bullying situations. They can help young children understand how children who are bullied might feel and how they themselves would feel if they were bullied. They can prepare children to become helpful bystanders by helping them recognize when a child who is bullied is feeling hurt and how they might help that child feel better.
Activities for Teaching Empathy Skills: Different and Similar
Discuss the main ways that children are different from one another. Prompt them with examples, if needed.
Ask, “What would our group be like if we were all the same?”
Elicit that while at first it might be fun, since we’d all agree on everything, eventually it would get boring, since we would never try anything new, every race would end in a tie, etc. Explain how the differences among us make our group stronger, more interesting, and better able to do different things. Discuss the fact that bullies may bully other children simply because they are different—they try to make differences seem like bad things or weaknesses, rather than the strengths they are.
Summarize by explaining that we should all agree to appreciate our differences, recognize that no one likes to be bullied, and never bully someone simply because he or she is different.
(Consider the Golden Rule: “Do to others as you would want them to do to you.” Acts of Kindness are the opposite of bullying because it helps another person feel good instead of bad––it gives a person a good feeling rather than takes away a good feeling)
April-Conflict Resolution
*Activity:
Kid President- How to Disagree
Animals crossing bridge video
Building plan- conflict
Fairy Tale/ Radio Show Conflict
May-Team Celebration
*Activity: